Preserving the Value of Visitor Information Centers

Traveling on Interstate 55 with my wife towards Memphis, Tennessee, we discovered a welcoming structure that caught our attention—Blytheville Welcome Center in Arkansas. Here, we encountered a natural stone building featuring slate floors and exposed beams. It housed displays of Arkansas’s natural wonders, alongside numerous brochures and booklets.

While Arkansas was a brief stop on our journey to Tennessee, our exploration led us to a trifold brochure on “Historic Dyess Colony: Where Johnny Cash’s Story Began.” As fans of Johnny Cash, the brochure piqued our interest. A friendly attendant encouraged us, and we ventured towards Dyess. Driving through northeast Arkansas, we searched for Cash’s boyhood home amid black-topped roads and rustic landscapes.

In Dyess, we met a former mayor and current museum manager who shared insights into Cash’s childhood. These experiences influenced his early memories and music recorded at Sun Records. We learned about the New Deal community shaping Cash’s life—a worthwhile detour indeed.

A recent announcement highlighted that Illinois closed its eight interstate visitor information centers in September. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity explained that visitors now primarily rely on Google for travel planning, suggesting that traditional brochures and attendants are outdated.

Online travel resources provide valuable information, particularly for city destinations. For example, sites like Tripadvisor are handy for those visiting Chicago, providing hotel and restaurant recommendations, and sightseeing tips. However, there’s a unique allure to exploring highways with their hidden gems.

While driving on I-57 toward Chicago, recommendations would introduce you to Chester—a 50-minute detour to Popeye’s birthplace and Fort Kaskaskia from the American Revolution. On I-55 near Springfield, a visit to Atlanta, Illinois, reveals the story of the Muffler Man at the American Giants Museum. I-72 leads you to Monticello Railway Museum, featuring a restored 1907 steam locomotive.

Traveling on I-80, Exit 97 offers a poignant visit to the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, with over 8,000 engraved names of military personnel lost in service.

Visitor spending in Illinois reached $50.2 billion in 2025, yet the state closed the doors to its eight visitor centers, allocating $1.6 million for their operation. Known as welcome centers, these sites serve as gateways to Illinois for 115 million visitors. Their closure represents more than lost information but signals an end to local storytelling and connection.

Frank Hosek, a freelance travel writer near Chicago, served as a director of human resources in Illinois.